Pure Intentions
by toomanycurls
Summary: Scorpius is faced with a dilemma - follow his heart and pursue Albus or follow his father's wishes and have a family. Will Albus tolerate being set aside while Scorpius dates his cousin Rose? Most importantly, will anyone leave this story without their heart being broken?
1. Red Flags

Albus first knew that Scorpius would break his heart when they were 15 years old. They had just shared their first kiss - it was innocent, sweet, and full of curiosity. "It's just a kiss, Al, don't read into it," the blond told him as the blush crept from his cheeks. Albus didn't understand how lips that had been so tender could turn to malice in a matter of minutes. It had been more than a snog to Al but he didn't argue with his friend on that point, it was just semantics at the end of the day. The words boded ill for the two of them but the promise of further affection blotted away all sense on the matter.

Just kissing turned into more as the next two years passed. Affection and new depths of physical exploration were commonplace between the Slytherin boys. The two boys had been inseparable throughout their years at Hogwarts. Their friendship harkened back to that of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and even to Sirius Black and James Potter. Merry laughter, inside jokes, and even a sense of superiority to their peers defined Albus and Scorpius. Often seen studying together in the library or out late wandering the corridors, the two friends never defined the exact nature of their relationship. It was hard to call it dating as they were together all throughout the day. However, it was impossible to deny the romantic overtures between them.

Despite the red flags, or rather blaring warnings of impending heartache, Albus slowly fell in love with his friend. "I love you," Albus whispered as he gazed down at young Malfoy's pale face. The dim light of common room just barely illuminated Scorpius' face enough for Albus to make out his eyes fluttering open. Early the next morning they would leave for Christmas holiday – two weeks spent cloistered with their families rather than with each other.

Scorpius was awake and mostly dressed by the time Albus first stirred in the morning. "Better hurry up or you'll be late," he said tossing trousers over to the bed. "Will you survive three entire weeks with your clan?" Malfoy asked with a momentary smirk.

"Will you survive your solitary holiday?" Albus shot back his unintentionally wounding words and regretted them after Scorpius' face turned sour. "I could come visit," he added with a hopeful smile.

"You could," Scorpius agreed. It wasn't an invitation rather a statement of physical possibility. "Have you seen my other boot?" he asked looking around their deserted dorm room seeing it in Albus' hand.

"This boot?" Albus asked coyly. Scorpius sauntered over to his best mate and held out an expectant hand. "It could be one of my dragonhide boots," he said leaning just far enough away from Scorpius to entice him dangerously close to the bed. Pulling Scorpius into a long kiss he said, "Definitely mine."

Finally getting the boot in hand, Scorpius straightened up looking slightly haughty. The grin on Albus' face faltered slightly at the other boy's visage. "See you after the New Year, Al," Scorpius said with a mixture of fondness and distance in his voice. Waving his wand at his luggage, the slender boy made his way up to the common room fire where he would Floo home.

Albus collected the remainder of his belongings that he couldn't bear to part with for the next few weeks and looked around the dormitory. The boom of children at Hogwarts made it necessary for his year to occupy three dorm rooms. Much to his luck, he and Scorpius ended up with a dorm to themselves for the last two years. The room represented so much to the two boys – intimacy that, outside of the walls went unspoken and repressed. Outside this room they were friends but behind the silky green hanging on their bed, they were lovers.

The holiday passed for Scorpius just as Albus had predicted – alone with his thoughts in the large and empty manor. His parents were busy preparing for their Boxing Day dinner party. They were not busy with the logistics or food preparations, but they were visiting with their essential guests to ensure attendance. Draco had even invited Harry and Ginny Potter, much to Scorpius' surprise they accepted. From what Albus had told him, Harry was gracious enough to accept an invitation from a former enemy but Ginny harbored resentment longer than her spouse.

Christmas dinner felt lonely to Scorpius despite his parents' presence at the table. Draco poured over a list of guests while blindly ladling soup while his wife read through the preparations for their meal the next day. As if just remembering that his only son was there, Draco jerked his head up midway through the main course and asked, "Did you like your Christmas present?"

Scorpius received several gifts that day. A silver ring with a snake that had emerald eyes had been his more expensive gift and the one his father asked after. "The ring is very nice, Father."

"It once belonged to your Grandfather Malfoy," Draco informed him as if owning something that a convicted death eater once wore made it special. "It's part of your heritage," he said raising his eyebrows momentarily. "I saw you got a gift from a friend – what was that, a handkerchief?"

Blushing slightly, Scorpius pulled the green and silver cloth from his pocket. "Yes," he said quietly. The package it came in was unmarked but the small heart sewn into the material told Scorpius who it was from.

"Who is your admirer?" Draco asked with a significant glance to Astoria.

"Is she pretty?" His mum asked finally paying attention to the conversation.

Scorpius tried not to groan at his parents. They had started asking about any possible love interests when he was 16 and had been blatantly hinting that marriage would be in order soon once he hit 17. Feeling a surge of defiance Scorpius looked at his parents and said boldly, "He's a boy in my year."

The moments of silence that followed were the time it took Draco and Astoria to connect their son's words with reality. "We've talked about this before, son," Astoria said softly. "You're the heir to the Malfoy name. You have to get married and have a child or the family dies with you."

"I don't want to get married just to produce more Malfoys," Scorpius whispered with a steely edge to his voice. "I want to marry someone I love."

Draco stood suddenly with his hands braced against their large dining table. "How could you be so selfish?" he asked in a waspish voice. "You'd let our ancient family die out because you fancy Joe Slytherin?" Taking a sip of wine, Draco eyed his son critically. "Merlin, for all I care you diddle your wife just enough for a child but you _will have children._ After that you can bugger whoever you want."

Scorpius glared at his dad. His face was flush with cool tear tracks breaking the heat emanating from his cheeks. "You don't deserve grandchildren," he said vehemently. Wanting to wound, he added, "You don't deserve me." Not allowing his parents another word, Scorpius pushed his chair back and fled to his room.

The argument that broke out after his departure from the dining room could be heard two floors up. Scorpius pulled out the book where he stashed his notes from Albus and thumbed through a few of the more recent messages. They were all signed "With love, Al." He wished that the words, "I love you," would come tumbling out of his mouth, but whenever he tried to talk about their relationship Scorpius sounded more like his father than a boy in love.

A soft knock at the door preceded Astoria's voice, "Draco, I've brought you water." Shoving the book and notes under his pillow, Scorpius sat up in bed as his mother pushed the door open. She sat on the edge of his bed and offered him a tall glass of water. "I know it's hard to hear at your age, but sometimes there's a responsibility to your family that outweighs your own passing desires," she said with a hand on her son's knee. "I wasn't thrilled when your father came by as my suitor. I even cried on our wedding day." Scorpius hadn't heard his mother talk about her marriage like this before. "The point is if I hadn't listened to my parents and married your father I wouldn't have you."

Bugger. Between the tears in the corner of his mum's hazel eyes and the watery smile, Scorpius could feel his stubborn wall wobbling under her gaze. "There aren't any girls I like," he said stubbornly.

"How much have you really tried looking?" she asked raising a dark eyebrow. "With all your time spent with your friends I'm surprised you know girls exist at all. Try spending time with a few."

Scorpius stared at his knees thinking about his mum's encouragement. "What about love?" he asked feeling tears threatened to make a reappearance.

"Love takes many forms, Scorpius. The love between two friends in a youthful relationship is quite different than a romantic relationship." Laughing lightly she added, "You're not the first boy to fancy his friend. You live at a boarding school for Merlin's sake." Seeing the scowl on her son's face, Astoria added, "Not that your feelings aren't real. Just consider the family and your father."

Taking the empty glass with her, Astoria left her son's room. His voice reached her as she shut the door, "Mum, thanks." Smiling she went downstairs to continue on the party plans for the next day. Scorpius went to bed wrestling with the idea of trying to date a witch rather than being solely occupied with his best mate. Maybe if he stopped spending all his time with Albus a girl or two would catch his eye.

It was not a restful night for the young man. Thoughts of Albus filled his head. _Was it love he felt?_ He thought so but the idea was scary to admit. Scorpius tried to appear strong and austere at all times and love was nothing if vulnerable. A relationship with a woman he did not love might feel less scary.

Tugging at the neck of his dress robe the next evening, Scorpius looked himself over in the mirror. The instructions from his parents were clear – greet every guest cordially and compliment where appropriate, dance with anyone who asked, and be a gracious host to their guests. Not wanting to be the only people for the first guests to talk to, Scorpius hid in his room until the party had officially been underway for more than a quarter hour. He had just descended the last stair into the large foyer when he saw Harry Potter at the door. Scorpius was just reflecting how much Al resembled his father when, as if pulled to the party by Scorpius' thoughts, Albus walked through the front door. Hands suddenly sweaty, Scorpius watched as Harry appeared to be explaining something to his father which was laughed off. Was he explaining why his son was there instead of his wife? Was he telling Draco that their sons snogged non-stop at school? Whatever it was caused Draco to make a bee-line to Scorpius.

"Potter brought his son instead of his wife. There won't be other kids your age – keep him occupied," Draco said with a crisp voice. Clearly his father had not given much thought to the identity of Scorpius' secret admirer or he wouldn't have given his son such an instruction.

Wearing a wicked smile, Albus made his way toward Scorpius. "I see you got my present," he said hugging Scorpius and brazenly kissing his cheek. "Don't worry," he whispered, "the adults are too busy socializing to notice two teenagers saying hello."

"They might notice if you snog me in the middle of the room," Scorpius said smiling at the room at large. "That's not an offer, Al," he added coolly catching the gleam in his friend's eye.

Harry made his way towards the two boys. "Al, I said to stay by me," Harry said after greeting Scorpius.

"I was just saying hi to Scorpius here," Albus said putting his arm around Scorpius and shaking his shoulder. "I need the company of someone my own age. You'll be too busy talking about politics and work nonsense."

Harry wore a bemused expression for a few moments. "I seem to recall you begging to come. I would have said no if I knew it would be a bore." Albus was giving his dad the panicked look of a teenager whose parent was being the height of un-cool. Harry laughed at shook his head. "You and Scorpius can pal around – just don't break anything or wander too far off."

Waiting for his dad to disappearing into the growing mass of people, Albus asked, "Want to ditch the party and go upstairs?"

"I have to stay down here and be social," Scorpius mumbled. "Host's duty."

They hung around the main room while the adults socialized with one another. Most were quite content to ignore the two boys chatting in a corner of the room. A few hours into the party, most of the adults were drunk enough to not care where Scorpius and Albus got off to. Deciding to show him around the house, they ended up in the cellar below the party. "It's a bit eerie in here," Albus said hugging himself as he looked around the dimly lit room.

"Mum and Dad don't like it when I come down there," Scorpius said quietly. "There is something peaceful about this room. I know it was used for evil in the war but it's the only place in this house that I don't feel overwhelmed by pomp and predicated behavior."

The waltz that just started above them could be heard muffled through the thick floor. "Do you want to dance?" Albus asked extending a hand and bowing slightly. Smiling, Scorpius took Albus' hand. Neither of them really knew how to waltz so they did a slow back and forth movement where both of them avoided stepping on the other's feet.

Dancing, rather shuffling around the room together, transformed the dank cellar into a warm and romantic setting. Rubbing the back of Albus' neck, Scorpius said in what he hoped was a sultry voice, "This is my kind of party. You, me, and no one else to interrupt." Albus looked as if he had a witty retort on the tip of his tongue but his comment was stayed by a lingering kiss from his host. There was definite desire in the kiss but a touch of hesitance that felt unfamiliar between them. Scorpius debated telling Albus that their relationship would change when they got back to school. Part of him just wanted to enjoy the evening and the feel of those lips against his own. That evening, each kiss felt like a lie and each caress a betrayal.

Not half an hour after they had descended the staircase together, a voice carried down to them. "Albus?" came Harry's hesitant voice. "Are you down there?"

After one quick kiss to Scorpius, Albus answered his father's voice. "I'm down here, Dad. Scorpius was showing me around."

"There's not much to see down there," he said in an unusually crisp voice. "It's late – we're leaving."

Both boys dropped the other's hand before entering the light of the stairway. "Goodnight, Scorpius," Albus said with a glance to his friend. "See you at school."

"Goodnight, Al, Mr. Potter," Scorpius said donning his cordial tone. Waiting a few minutes for the two Potters to leave, Scorpius rejoined the rest of the party upstairs. His parents, who were quite occupied with the guests and didn't notice his absence or return to the group.


	2. Red Rose

Returning to the familiar Hogwarts castle and Slytherin common room was a reprieve after the weeks at Malfoy Manor. Dinner the first night back was full of excited chatter about vacations, exciting gifts, and a buzz that indicated none were burdened by the load of homework they'd have in a few days' time. Scorpius was not very talkative as he was preoccupied – it would be a challenge to distance himself from his best mate. It was much easier to just listen as Albus was filling him in on the parts of his holiday that didn't include the Malfoy's party.

"I spent almost every day with or at a cousin's house. Coming back to school will give me a break from _quality _family time," Albus said laughing.

Before Scorpius could respond, a voice cut between the two friends like a knife. "I'm sure you hated all that time you and Teddy spent gallivanting around together, Al," Rose said giving her cousin a poke in the shoulder. Seeing Rose or another one of Albus' family members traipse to the Slytherin table was not entirely uncommon.

Rose visited the most perhaps as she and Al were close in age and often kept tabs on one another. She was quite pretty, Scorpius decided, and had often come across as intelligent and rather funny. "How are you, Rose?" Scorpius asked with a winning smile. Flirting with one of Albus' cousins seemed like a very safe start to giving girls a try. "Your hair looks quite stunning."

"Why thank you, Scorpius," Rose said with a wide smile. She took to compliments and flattery like a squid to water. "I'm doing quite well."

"Did you come over here for a reason?" Albus asked coldly. He didn't like the way his cousin was eyeing Scorpius or the way his eyes raked over her features. Deciding to lighten the mood, he added, "I didn't think Gryffindors liked being seen at the Slytherin table. Think of what this visit could do to your reputation."

Rolling her eyes, Rose leaned against the wall behind the long Slytherin table. "Just wanted to see if you finished _Pride and Prejudice_ yet. I have the itch to reread it and the library doesn't have muggle books."

Albus wished his cousin had shown more discretion with his literary exploration. Jane Austen's stories of longsuffering romances and tumultuous relationships felt as real to Al as any he knew of in real life. "I finished it last night but I left it in the Common Room. I'll give it to you at breakfast," he said hoping his cousin would leave and let Al return to his conversation with Scorpius.

"I'll stop by in the morning then," Rose said with a wave to the two boys.

After a furtive glance to his friend, Scorpius let out a low, "So…"

"Don't start in on my reading choices," Al said feeling rather prickly. "She practically forced me to read _Jane Eyre_ last summer."

Scorpius pushed the remnants of chocolate cake around on his plate for a few moments before saying, "I wasn't going to comment on the books you read." He let out a sharp laugh then said, "Do you know if Rose is single?" It was supposed to be a casual question, something not to be read into, but Al jumped on the question like James onto a broom.

There was no reason to lie to Scorpius but it made Albus uneasy to have his best mate ask after his cousin. Not when that best mate had just snogged him in a dark hallway before dinner. "As far as I know," Al said glaring across the hall at the emptying Gryffindor table. He knew for a fact that she broke up with Alexander Jordan before the break and had been quite over the ordeal by the time Christmas Day rolled around.

"Shall we to the common room?" Scorpius asked standing up from the table. He knew it would be problematic but Rose seemed as any girl as any to _give things a try_ to appease his parents. He felt like it would be the same as when he was forced to try caviar. His mum had said to try it out before turning his nose up at it. After a few bites, Scorpius he was certain he never wanted a bite again. Surely women would be the same.

Albus was late for Herbology weeks later after leaving his dragonhide gloves in the dormitory. He ran into Lily in the Entrance Hall. "Sorry, Lil, didn't see you," he said making to skirt around his younger sister.

"Actually, I want a word with you, Al," she said blocking his path. "Did you put Scorpius up to it?" she asked raising one of her red eyebrows.

Feeling quite bemused, he asked, "Up to what exactly?" It had been several months since either of them got up to any mischief that his sister would inquire about.

Lily crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "Asking Rose to Hogsmeade," she clarified after deciding her brother wasn't merely feigning ignorance.

Shock hit Albus hard in the stomach. Not two nights ago Scorpius had been in bed with his head rested on Albus' shoulder. "News to me, sis," he said trying to keep a sense of levity in his voice. "I'm late to Herbology, got to run."

Albus did quite literally run the distance to Herbology. Professor Longbottom was never strict about being a few minutes late, at least he never took points off for it. Slowing down as he approached Greenhouse 2, Albus peered through the green tinted windows. Scorpius and Rose were at a table together with another Gryffindor student. Albus thought it might be Sandra Thomas but didn't bother to find out.

Not feeling up to sitting next to his traitor cousin and friend, Al turned on his heel and ran back into the castle and to the Slytherin common room. He would make some excuse to tell Professor Longbottom later but he needed to be alone while his carefully constructed world crashed around him.

After an hour or so of moody reflection, Ablus heard footsteps pounding the stone staircase to the dormitory. Quickly wiping away tears, Albus grabbed a book to pretend to read.

"Where were you during Herbology?" Scorpius asked taking in the abandoned school bag and upside-down book Albus was holding. "Are you all right?"

"How did you expect me to feel after you ask my cousin out?" Albus spat out. "I thought we had something between us." It was impossible for Albus to hide the hurt from his voice.

"It's just a trip to Hogsmeade," Scorpius said hoping to minimize the entire date situation. "We do have something between us, we're best mates."

Albus knew Scorpius didn't mean to sound callous but his words caused anger to flare up rather than the pity he had been experiencing. "Best mates don't snog in hidden passageways or hold hands when no one is looking. They certainly don't slow dance at their parents' party!" Albus' voice was raised just below the level of a shout.

"I've always told you, we can only be friends… no matter how I feel about you," Scorpius said with his voice catching in his throat. Albus couldn't know how hard it was for him to contemplate seeing someone else but he was a Malfoy and had obligations.

"Go, have your way with Rose," Albus yelled. "Just don't expect me to wait around while you test out the waters with the fairer sex." Deep down he knew it was a lie – he had been waiting for more than two years for Scorpius and Albus had just waited around for their relationship to actuate.

Scorpius took Rose on a date to Hogsmeade, then another. Soon they were close to inseparable. Part of Scorpius' gusto was fueled by Albus' angry words and indifferent behavior. He was determined to make the best out of a relationship with Rose. She was quite pleasant company to keep, he found. Holding hands in the hallway was not uncommon nor was Scorpius' presence at the Gryffindor table for meals.

"Why don't you invite Albus to eat with us?" Rose asked during one lunch. "He looks so lonely without you."

That wasn't entirely true. Albus was deep in discussion with the Slytherin quidditch captain, Douglas Dawlish. Scorpius narrowed his eyes as Al leaned back laughing at something Dawlish said. "It looks like he's plenty occupied without me," he said nonchalantly.

"That's only when people are looking," Rose pushed on. "Did you guys have a row? Lily told me he's been a bit distant with her for a few months."

Scorpius shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of. You know how moody he can be though."

Rose shrugged. "I suppose you're right. Still, it would be nice if you could keep an eye on him," she said squeezing Scorpius' knee.

It might have been the jolt of thrill or his desire to not raise many questions about Albus' new demeanor but Scorpius agreed to keep a closer eye on his friend.

Easter holiday did not come fast enough for Albus. He was desperate for a break from watching his best mate and cousin gallivant around the school together. Albus was nursing a heartache that he couldn't confide in anyone else. Deep down he wanted the best for Rose and if that meant Scorpius then he'd have to displace those feelings of injured jealousy.

Upon hearing that Albus was coming home for the brief holiday, Harry took the week off work to spend time with his middle child. It was apparent by the second day of his trip home that something was not quite right with his son. This was one of the few times as a dad that Harry wished he had examples from his childhood that would guide his actions with the children.

Albus was lounging on the couch reading a book large enough to break his nose if he dropped it when Harry decided to probe his son for the source of his mood. "Al, could you come help me in the garage? I need to replace the oil on my motorbike."

Harry thought asking invasive questions while working on something would lower Albus' defenses slightly. "Sure, Dad," Al said setting the book on the sofa and grabbing his wand.

It was thanks to his father-in-law that Harry started to play mechanic to his old motorbike. He often had his children help so that they'd get a feel for working with their hands. It really wasn't a two-person job but Harry didn't think Al would try to dodge helping him out. Out in the garage, Harry had his motorbike resting on its stand and a set of tools at the ready. Getting on his back, Harry scooted so that he could see under the bike. "Could you give me some light, Al?" he asked peeking out from under the vehicle.

After a quiet _lumos _Harry could see much better. "How are things at school?" he asked as the black liquid began to pour into the container below the motorbike.

"Getting ready for NEWTS," Al said with a shrug. "There's been a bit of stress to revise non-stop."

"Is that why you've elected to come home for a week of possible revision time?" Harry asked dryly. Al didn't respond, nor did Harry expect him to. "You've been as down as I've ever seen you, son. What's the matter? Romance problems?"

The oil had stopped draining for a few moments but Harry didn't take his gaze off Albus. "You could say that," Al confessed quietly. "It's complicated though." Albus pointed his wand at the oil and vanished it.

"Thanks for getting that," Harry said sitting up to get at the filter. "Could you hand me that wrench?" he asked pointing at the nearby table. Albus held up a tool for Harry to look at before handing it over. "That one," Harry confirmed. "What makes your romance problem so complicated?" Harry asked as he removed the oil filter from his bike.

Albus huffed and crossed his arms. "Only everything," he said with dramatic flair.

Deciding that better eye contact was more important that keeping up the pretense of working on his old motorbike, Harry stood up so he was face to face with his son. "Al," Harry started feeling quite unprepared for this discussion. "Your mum and I will love anyone you love, boy or girl," Harry said with his heart racing. Ginny had first commented that Albus seemed rather more interested in other boys than any girl he'd met. After that they thought it'd be a matter of time before Al started dating and they'd see who he preferred.

While Harry was worrying that he just put Al in an uncomfortable situation, his son latched onto Harry with a tight hug. "Oh, Dad," Albus sobbed. "I always knew you and Mum look twice if I came home with a bloke. That's not my problem." Harry stroked the back of Al's head as he cried quietly for a few minutes. Pulling back from his dad, he said, "The person I love doesn't love me back."

Harry wished he could confer with Hermione before continuing the conversation but his son's emotions couldn't wait on his aunt's advice. "Is it that he doesn't fancy blokes or does he love someone else?" Harry asked tentatively.

"I'm not daft enough to fall for a bloke that only likes girls, Dad," Albus said with a strained laugh. "He just doesn't love me. Or he doesn't love me enough."

It felt surreal to have a discussion about love with his son. The words of his son's namesake floated through Harry's head. "Love is a force more terrible than death, human intelligence, and all the forces of nature. You would be wise not to squander it on someone who is not smart enough to love you back."

Albus nodded stoicly. "I just thought we'd turn out differently," Al sighed.

"Do you love her?" Albus asked after he regained composure.

Scorpius had the sense to look offended at the question and unspoken accusation. "Of course. She's fun to be around and she's brilliant."

A cold laugh left Albus' lips before he could stop it. "That's not love, Scorpius. Do you miss her when she's gone? Even for a few hours? Does your world feel complete when she's with you?" Tears clung to Albus' eyelashes.

"That kind of love comes in time," Scorpius said as if he had memorized the words. "We're best mates, Al, but I have to do this." Putting a comforting arm around his friend, Scorpius went on, "We can still be friends."

Albus pried himself out of Scorpius' reach. "Have you gone insane? I'm not going to sit on the sidelines while you run off with my cousin and play the part-time lover," he said with venom in his voice. "She deserves more than that from you. _I _deserve more from you."


	3. Red Hot

The last month of school went by with merciful speed. Albus buried himself in books and revision with his other classmates. With a crowd of their fellow students around, Scorpius and Al were cordial and rather distant with one another. By the time they reached their dormitory in the evening, neither boy had the energy to say as much as goodnight, let alone quip at each other.

It was surreal to leave Hogwarts. Albus blinked back tears of relief and regret as the carriages moved towards the immense winged gates of the school grounds. He wanted to return to simpler times where all he had to worry about was the latest potions assignment and every night was promised to be spent with Scorpius kissing him goodnight.

Cindy's voice reached Albus mid-reverie. "Do you love him?" she asked watching his eyes. They were the only two in their carriage but Albus still looked around to check if they would be overheard. "I've seen how you two used to be together. Lately I've seen the hurt in your eyes," she finished in a voice just above a whisper.

"I guess we weren't that subtle," Al said with an attempt at a smile. "At least I never was." He would not confess his love for Scorpius – leaving Hogwarts meant he could leave his feelings behind as well.

"You're a really great guy, Al," Cindy said kindly. "Soon you'll meet someone who deserves you."

Albus nodded stoically but couldn't bring himself to respond. He didn't want someone else but it did seem useless to hold out for Scorpius. The next few months would give him the chance to decide on what he wanted to do with his life – why not his love life as well?

The carriage rolled to a slow stop and the quiet pair climbed out into the warm, sunny day. A swarm of students were flooding the bright red train. Not too far ahead of his spot in line, Albus could see his cousin's vibrant hair and the blond hair of Scorpius.

Rose was ready for the next big adventure in life though she didn't know exactly what that was. She had taken her NEWTs in enough subjects to qualify for a myriad of jobs but nothing stood out as especially interesting. Rose would never tell her parents this, but part of her wished she could go on a yearlong fight against some evil dark wizard with her best friends.

Scorpius found a train car for the two of them and soon a handful of Rose's family trailed in after them. Hugo and Lily sat across from Rose and Scorpius. Hugo raised an eyebrow causing Lily to grin. Fred took the seat next to Lily and had giddy look of someone who was holding in a good joke.

"Don't tell me you've rigged dung bombs to the doors again," Rose said to her younger cousin. "I don't help you with the bubblehead charm again."

"Pfft," Fred said with a wide grin. "Dung bombs are not in season at all – I went for a festive touch instead. Just wait," he said winking.

The group in their compartment looked in the direction Fred kept craning his neck. Albus walked by briskly, not stopping as his family hailed him. He and Scorpius locked eyes for a moment causing both to look away.

"He'll miss it if he's too far down the train," Fred said in a slightly agitated voice. He hated for people to hear about his tricks secondhand when they could have seen it themselves. With a jolt, the train started to leave the station. At once, the train as surrounded by whizzing sparks of fireworks Fred had evidently gotten from his dad's shop.

Scorpius looked a bit uncomfortable as the rest of his companions burst into peals of laughter. He wasn't used to being around so many people without there being a sense of purpose and formality. Scorpius was wondering if Albus would have sat with his cousins when Hugo broke through his thoughts with a question. "Have Mum and Dad invited you over for dinner yet, Scorp?"

Feeling jarred by both the question and the mutilation of his name, Scorpius was contemplating a reply when Rose answered for him. "Actually, you have," she said with an apologetic smile. "Mum wrote me a few days ago asking if you could come by next week."

"I think I could," Scorpius said managing a smile. He was surprised at how easy his relationship with Rose had progressed. Maybe a life with her would go as effortlessly as theirs had so far.

After the tediously long train ride, they arrived at King's Cross. Scorpius obliged Rose's underage relatives by helping them magic their trunks out of the train. Now that he was old enough to apparate, Scorpius did not expect his parents to collect him from the train. Both Rose's and Albus' parents were on the platform smiling as their children found their way onto the platform.

Rose held his hand as they disembarked the train but dropped it as she ran toward her mum to give her a hug. Scorpius would not leave without saying goodbye to her girlfriend so he stood a short distance from the family as they hugged. He couldn't help but feel like he was observing not just another family but an entirely different culture than his own. Each year Scorpius would greet his parents with a crisp, "Mother, Father," and follow them out of the station – no hugging or warm smiles.

Seeming to notice the lingering teen, Harry greeted Scorpius with a friendly, "Hello, Scorpius. Are your parents coming to take you home?"

"No, Sir. I'm just waiting to say goodbye to Rose," he said with the same cordial tone used for parties and formal events.

"Yes, I heard you two are dating," he said glancing towards Ron. "I expect we'll be seeing you over the summer then." With that, Harry walked towards Albus and Lily who were hugging Ginny in turn.

Moments later, Rose's arms were around Scorpius' torso and her lips brushed against his cheek. "Come say hello to my parents," she said excitedly.

Wishing she hadn't just kissed him in front of her formidable parents, Scorpius straightened his back and approached Ron and Hermione Weasley. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," he said rather stiffly.

"Where are your parents?" Ron said by way of a greeting. Scorpius caught a flash of annoyance on Hermione's face.

"I'm going to apparate home so they didn't need to meet me," Scorpius said as if this had been a communicated plan of action rather than his assertion after not finding them there.

"Rose extended our invitation to dinner next week, correct?" Hermione asked before her husband could continue interrogating Scorpius. At his nod, she smiled. "Let's do Friday at 7," she said smiling.

"That sounds wonderful," Scorpius said wracking his brain for the next polite thing to say. "Is there anything I could bring?" he asked remembering his parents posing this question when invited to casual dinner parties.

"That's sweet of you, but there's no need," Hermione said with a glance to Ron who was glowering slightly. "We should be off," she said to her family.

Rose kissed Scorpius again on the cheek causing him to blush furiously knowing this would give her dad further cause to dislike him. They parted ways for the next week when Rose followed her family out of the station and Scorpius disapparted to Malfoy Manor.

The few minutes it took him to get to up the pathway to the oppressively large house allowed Scorpius to plan out telling his parents that he had secured a girlfriend. He hoped to gain their favor with this news but suspected his father would take issue with her family. Draco had expressed dissatisfaction with Scorpius becoming close friends with Albus at school and alluded to his dislike of the entire Potter-Weasley family. Subconsciously, his father's dislike of her family may have increased Rose's attractiveness as a potential partner.

Seeing his mum in the parlor sipping tea and reading the Daily Prophet sent a surge of bitterness through Scorpius. If he hadn't just witnessed a loving and emotional family reunion at the train station, his own parents' absence would not have stung so sharp. "Mother," Scorpius said from the doorway.

Glancing up from her reading for a moment, Astoria replied, "You took a while getting back from King's Cross." Scorpius frowned. "Did you have trouble?"

He wanted to retort with a snide comment but decided against picking a fight with his mother. "No trouble. I was saying goodbye to my girlfriend."

Raising her eyebrows, but not breaking contact with the paper, Astoria asked, "Who is she?"

"Rose Weasley," Scorpius said with a touch of defiance in his voice. "She's Ron and Hermione Weasley's daughter," Scorpius added unnecessarily.

"A Weasley?" came Draco's voice from behind Scorpius. "I do believe there are several girls from _better_ families in your year. The Weasleys are common and insipid."

Frustration and anger flooded Scorpius causing him to clench his hand around the holly wand. "You don't seem to find them common the way you try to smarm up to them and ask them to come around for one of your little parties." Like his father, Scorpius had a gift for deep cutting words when angered.

"Scorpius, you do not talk to your father that way," Astoria scolded. "You were raised better than that." She glanced at Draco for a moment before continuing. "We are pleased, of course, that you are properly dating someone. We expected perhaps a different family but if you love her…"

The irony of his mother's words were not lost upon Scorpius. If he loved _her_. His love for a man did not matter to them but love could be accommodated if it is with a woman. "They've invited me to dinner next week," Scorpius said briskly. "If that goes well, I'll see about having Rose here for dinner." With that, Scorpius turned on his heel and left his parents.

Unpacking his trunk had a sense of finality that had not be present during previous summers. Each June he would return to Malfoy Manor and count the weeks until he would return to Hogwarts and to Albus. Usually his first few days back would include a letter to Albus but this summer the dark-haired man would be conspicuously absent from Scorpius' life.

The first letter Scorpius received that summer was from Rose saying that she missed him and looked forward to his visit. She also started to talk about going on a trip to Spain with her friend Agatha Clemente. It struck Scorpius, as he walked around the garden path rereading the letter, that he did not feel a pang of longing at the idea of going a month or more not seeing Rose. He told himself it was a sign of trust and respect rather than a lack of love.

Feeling entirely unprepared to face the Weasley household, Scorpius stepped into the gentle green flames and spun away to Rose's house. He was greeted by a tall, thin boy with bright red hair – Hugo looked as if he'd been placed by the fire as a lookout for their guest that night. "Mum, Dad, Rose's _boyfriend_ is here."

"Hello, Hugo," Scoprius said as he stepped out of the fire. Deciding that vanishing the soot from his clothes would be better than tracking it around the house, he took out his wand waving it slightly to siphon off the black soot from his outfit. Not a moment after his wand was tucked away, Rose had her arms around Scorpius' waist. "I've missed you, Rose," he said softly into his girlfriend's neck as she squeezed him tightly.

"Gross," Hugo said as he walked past them. "Mum, Rose is mauling her _boyfriend_ in the sitting room." Scorpius was suddenly thankful his parents only had one child.

Rose stepped back from Scorpius and took his hand. "Mum and Dad are through here," she said guiding him into the family room.

Mr. Weasley narrowed his eyes as Scorpius entered the room with Rose. "Malfoy," he said curtly.

Hermione's loud whisper of, "_Ronald,_" carried across the room. "We're so happy to have you here, Scorpius," she said with a smile that seemed rather professional than personal. Scorpius could sense that her gracious attitude was an attempt to appease her daughter and maintain a semblance of civility. He recognized it as the same behavior his parents demonstrated at parties and social gatherings.

As he took a seat next to Rose on the plush couch, he looked around at the room they were in. He could tell their house was a comfortable size but was quite tiny compared to Malfoy Manor. Scorpius liked that the house wasn't so large you could be at home with everyone but not be within 20 meters of another person. Noticing Scorpius' eyes taking in the house, Ron said in a voice that edged on contemptuous, "Quite a bit smaller than what you're used to, I suspect." Ron did not need to suppose the size of the manor as he had been held there for a short while in his youth.

"I like the size of your home," Scorpius said genuinely. "It's feels friendly and welcoming and you don't have to walk for 10 minutes to find the loo."

Rose laughed at his words and even Ron let a smirk grace his face. "I can show you around the house before dinner," Rose offered. "It'll be another 15 minutes, right Mum?" she asked not waiting for an answer before pulling Scorpius to his feet.

"That sounds about right," Hermione called after her daughter as she watched the pair disappear from the room.

As they reached the staircase they could hear Hugo ask, "Should I follow them?" followed by a brisk no.

Once they reached an open door on the second floor, Rose pulled Scorpius by the arm and shut the door, locking it with her wand. Not waiting for him to even raise an eyebrow at her behavior, she pushed Scorpius against the wall and kissed him deeply.

Not wanting to sit through dinner feeling randy, Scorpius broke their kiss after a few delightful moments. "Won't they be by soon to check on us?" Rose shrugged as her hands ran through Scorpious' soft hair. His voice catching in his throat he stammered, "I think they'll notice if I return with my hair mussed."

"I don't know how you can bear it," she said in a husky voice. "I've been going spare since we left school."

"How will you survive your trip to Spain?" he asked with a mocking smile on his face. Scorpius leaned down and slowly kissed Rose before she could think of her witty retort. Remembering his goal to sit through dinner with his mind on the conversation rather than contemplating lecherous thoughts, Scorpius pulled back from the kiss and heard Rose huff. "What is this room?" he asked glancing at the desk and books.

"Mum's study. I think it's her favorite room," Rose said walking towards the bay window where there was a cushioned bench and a few books. "I spend some time in here reading too," she added straightening the books by the window.

Upon hearing footsteps on the stairs, Rose waved her wand causing the door to click. Moments later the handle turned slowly, "Rose, are you in here?" came Hermione's voice. The door opened and Hermione had the look of someone expecting to see horrific scenes of teenage hormones but then looked suddenly relieved that the two teenagers were not only in a rather non-compromising position but were each holding books. Smiling a genuine smile, Hermione announced that dinner was on the table.

Dinner consisted of cobb salad, pork chops, roasted potatoes, and grilled vegetables with pumpkin juice and butterbeer to drink. Scorpius couldn't imagine his mother cooking this meal herself. Anything more arduous than pouring a cup of tea and she'd ring for Fink, their house-elf, to do it for her. "This is delicious," Scorpius said at each dish he tried.

Midway through eating, Rose was talking about her plan to do the Walk of Saint James with Agatha. "There are supposed to be interesting magical sites along the way," she said mainly to Scorpius. Her family had been inundated with plans and potential waypoints for the two girls. "Maybe you could meet us in León; it's supposed to be a beautiful city."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances before Hermione cut in, "Rose, I thought you were going on a holiday with your girlfriend. This doesn't sound like a trip appropriate for male companions."

"Mum, you're so old-fashioned. Besides, you ran off with Dad and Uncle Harry – that wasn't very lady-like," Rose said with a wicked smile forming on her face.

"Be fighting Dark Wizards, will you?" Ron asked finally jumping into the conversation. "When you're on the run fighting evil, you can go camping with whomever you wish," he said with a grin toward Hermione.

"You'll have to send me an owl from León," Scorpius said daring to squeeze Rose's hand. "I've read that Spain is lovely in the summer. You'll have a wonderful time."

"Dad, can I go to Amsterdam when I graduate from school?" Hugo asked clearly bored with his sister's conversation. "James told me there are some special muggle pastries there I have to try."

Ron looked on the verge of saying sure when his wife said, "I don't think that's an appropriate trip for you," in a brisk voice.

"Muggles do make rather good pastries," Ron reasoned before he caught the look from Hermione. "Though, it could be a dodgy place," he added hastily.

An hour or so later, Rose was by the fireplace to say goodbye to Scorpius. Her family had gathered to bid him farewell which limited the kind of departure Rose desired. The kiss Scorpius consented to leave on her cheek left her stomach burning for more. "I'll see you when you get back," he said before stepping into the fire and leaving.

Rose spun on the spot and faced her family. "Well?" she asked grinning the same winning smile that had got her the trip to Spain.

"You've got to explain to me how Al shared a room with him for so many years and didn't die of boredom," Hugo said from a chair in the corner. "He's all manners and civility. Where's the fun in that?" Hugo grinned at the look of approval from his dad.

"Sorry he's well-behaved in front of the family, Hugo. I know you'd rather have a friend over who set fire to my bed," Rose shot at her brother. It had been nearly 4 years ago that Hugo and his friend Anthony were in her room while she was out and one of them used Dad's wand to make a blue flame which caught her duvet on fire. "Scorpius and Al were in enough trouble at school. Trust me, he's not dull," she said with a lopsided grin which vanished at the raised eyebrow from her mum.

"He seemd quite nice, Rosie," Hermione said warmly. "But he will not visit you in Spain, do you hear?" Unfortunately, her mum could keep track of any attempt he made to visit Spain while she was gone.

Rose spent the next week packing for her month long visit to Spain. She was thrilled to be given the bag her mum used while fighting Voldemort, Rose didn't have to worry about only packing the essentials. In fact, Agatha was going to pack her clothes and supplies in the small beaded back as well.

Deciding that essential supplies might include items from her uncle's joke shop, Rose stopped by Diagon Alley the day she was scheduled to leave country. Waving at Fred, who was manning the counter, she walked up to the office where Uncle George spent his days inventing better tricks and toys. Much to her surprise, Albus was up there with him.

"What brings you by?" Uncle George said with a smile. "Aren't you supposed to be fleeing the country today?"

"Not for another few hours," she said picking up a figure from the shelf. "I thought I might need a few extra supplies for the trip."

"Are you planning a Tiny Twister?" Albus asked coolly.

"Not planning anything, Al. I just wanted to see what you two could recommend," she said coyly. In truth, she was really seeking out her uncle's opinion but it seemed rude to exclude Al as he was there.

George stroked his chin and leaned back in his chair. "Let's see, word is you have a beau, so no Love Potion for you. Might need some decoy detonators. Been making a smaller model so it won't take up too much room."

While Uncle George starting making a list of items, Rose observed her cousin. There were bags under his eyes – was he getting sleep at night? She thought he might be a bit thinner than usual too. When her uncle was done speaking, Rose said, "That sounds like a great list. Maybe Al can show me where to grab everything."

Albus led Rose out to the main shop. "I'm just going to get a small box of Whiz-Bangs – I'd hate for you to go overboard with them," Al said picking up a brightly decorated box.

"Are you going to tell me what's the matter?" Rose asked without preamble. "You've been sullen for months and I'm worried about you, Al."

"Nothing's the matter," Al said automatically. "I'm just wrestling with what to do with my future, just like everyone else."

His explanation made sense, more than Rose was expecting it to make. "Oh," she paused then said, "I just thought you've seemed unhappy, not caught up in planning out your life." Rose leaned over the banister and looked down on the rest of the shop. "Mum and Dad are having a family picnic when I get home. Scorpius will be there."

"Oh," was all Albus could think to say. Family picnic meant that he'd be expected to go, or be on his deathbed with spattergroit. "Are you two still getting on?" he asked guessing her answer.

"Is that a problem?" Rose asked detecting a hint of sourness in her cousin's voice.

"I just want you to be happy, Rose," Albus said putting his arm around her. "You've always been wild and free which is about the opposite of Scorpius."

"He can be a bit, well, conservative," Rose admitted rolling her eyes. "I think his parents put a lot of pressure on him though," she added thoughtfully.

If only she knew the truth of her words. Albus' heart was slowly repairing after Scorpius, who had caved to his parent's pressure, began to date Rose. Every day felt a little less difficult and each night a little less lonely. He had a month to prepare for seeing Scorpius and Rose around his family – Albus could learn to feign civility by then.


	4. Red Letter

Warm air pressed on Rose like a blanket as she and Agatha lay beneath the stars. They were 5 days into their journey and decided it was too warm to sleep inside their tent and kipped in a grassy meadow instead. The stars were bright and seemed to be just out reach in the two girls in their sleeping bags. Agatha and Rose were chatting about the ruin they explored that day when suddenly Agatha pointed up and exclaimed, "Oooh, it's Scorpius."

Feeling the panic and thrill of having her boyfriend with her in Spain, against her mother's wishes, caused Rose to sit bolt upright. "I don't see-" she started.

Laughing derisively, Agatha said, "The constellation, you nutter." Rose was glad that no one could see her blush as she slid back into her sleeping bag. "You almost never see these stars in England," Agatha commented after her giggles subsided.

"Yes, the night sky is beautiful," Rose said stiffly.

Having been friends for the last four years, Agatha could tell when Rose's wand was in a knot. She had never known her friend to get tetchy over a boy. "Is it the real deal with him then?" Agatha asked rolling onto her stomach so she could try to make out Rose's face in the evening light.

"I don't know, not really," Rose said twisting to face Agatha. "I like him – a lot," she giggled as Agatha waggled her eyebrows. "He's sweet to me too."

"My powers of divination tell me there's a 'but' about to happen," Agatha sighed dramatically.

"You didn't take divination," Rose joked with Agatha. "Or is there Seer blood in your family?"

"Ah, yes. The Clemente family is decedent from a gypsy clan that roamed all of Spain during the Inquisition," Agatha said in her mistiest voice. After a few minutes of giggling and oohing at each other in spooky voices, Agatha returned to the topic at hand. "What's the big but you were going to tell me about?"

Burying her face into the pillow, Rose groaned. "I don't know that there is a but. Except that he does have a nice butt," she paused a moment to allow for more giggling. "There's something about him that I'm not sure about. I can't put my finger on it." There was a pause where Rose imagined Agatha was raising her eyebrows, prompting her to go on. "He's just not like the other guys I've dated, that's all. And I don't know why he never dated before he asked me out. It's like one day he realized that there were girls at Hogwarts and _boom_ asked one out."

"He's just a late bloomer," Agatha decided. "Like your cousin, Albus."

Rose grunted in agreement feeling that it wouldn't be polite to say she didn't think Albus was a late bloomer. Quite the contrary, she was almost certain that he liked and had dated blokes but didn't like to talk about it. It really wasn't her place to ask about it either. "I'm going to get some sleep, Aggie," Rose yawned, curling into a comfortable sleeping position. "The sun rises so early."

The next morning, they were both covered in a light dew when the sun's light woke them from sleep. Having spent most of the night contemplating her cousin, Rose decided to send Albus an owl. He'd like Spain, she knew, and would be most interested in her adventures. That day they were going to explore a small magical village where witches and wizards hid in obscurity during Francoist Spain. Before the Dictatorship or dictadura as the locals called it, witches and wizards were interspersed with the muggle population. Once it became clear that they could not risk being close to muggles or fascists, the magical community clustered together in remote areas of the countryside.

The small town, Salvador, was quaint but had a post office for me to send my mail. Agatha and Rose scribbled letters to their parents outside before going in for owls. Rose wrote a brief letter to Scorpius telling him about seeing his constellation in the sky hoping it wasn't too corny for him to hear about. They both had a touch of sticker shock at the cost of an owl to England, let alone four but handed over the galleons before leaving the small shop.

Albus lounged on his bed reading through _Sense and Sensibility_ as the afternoon whiled away. The book felt like an exact parallel for his love life. Would Scoprius only stay with Rose until he thought Albus' affection was at risk? Was it foolish for him to hope that Scorpius would ever notice him again? Fearing a less than storybook ending, Albus felt tears collect in the corner of his eyes. A soft knock at the door caused Al to sit up and wipe his eyes.

"You have post," his mum said opening the door a crack. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, Mum," he responded hoping his eyes did not have signs of tears. "Who is the post from?"

"Looks like Rose sent you something from Spain," she said handing over the folded letter. "Oh and I had a word with your dad about getting you into a job," Ginny let a moment's silence hang in the air before continuing. "He's going to have to job shadow an auror – not that you have to follow to that area of work," she said cutting off her son's look of protest. "He's going to check with other departments to see if you can see what kind of jobs you can shadow."

"I just don't know what I want to do with my life," Albus mumbled.

Ginny smiled briefly. "You have to do _something_, dear. And, reading romance novels doesn't fall under that umbrella," she teased.

The next morning Albus got out of bed at the unholy hour of 7 and trudged down to the kitchen for breakfast. For Albus, breakfast, and meals in general, were something that just appeared on his plate at school or were prepared by someone else. Their house-elf had died a few years back which meant more meals prepared by his mum and sometimes Dad. This morning it seemed Albus would have to figure out breakfast on his own. From his many late night snack raids, he knew where food was stored at least. The fridge had eggs, cheese, milk, and an assortment of other food which seemed too complicated to put together in a meal. In the pantry, there was cereal, pastries, and oatmeal. Albus decided on an apple from the counter as it took the least amount of preparation.

"Good morning, Al," came his father's chipper voice. "Is that all you're having for breakfast?" he asked grabbing an assortment of items from the pantry and fridge. Before Albus could articulate an answer, there were two bowls of oatmeal cups of milk on the counter.

"Thanks, Dad," he said sleepily. "How did you learn to do that?" he asked wondering who gave the hero of the magical world cooking lessons.

"Your gran got me going with the basics and the rest was practice," Harry said between spoonfuls of hot oatmeal. "Even with Kreacher, I wanted to learn to cook for myself. You never know when you'll need to know how to feed yourself."

"I don't think I've quite mastered that lesson yet," Albus said feeling more awake after having a bit of food in his stomach. "What is it you'll have me do today?" Albus asked as he put his dishes in the sink. "I'm rubbish at filing."

Harry's eyebrows contracted for a moment. "When have you ever filed?" he asked rhetorically. "I'm putting you with one of my junior aurors. He's just a couple years out of training and should be able to give you a _younger_ perspective of the Ministry," Harry told his son as they went out the door.

Albus had been to the Ministry enough to not feel entirely impressed by the immensity of the bureaucracy or mass of employees that streamed in every day. He was continually surprised, however, by the stares his dad got from people as they walked to the elevators. Much to his annoyance, every trip to the Ministry included several people commenting that, "he looks just like Harry," or that, "he'll have some big shoes to fill." Once they hit the 5th floor, where Auror headquarters was, he heard cries of "Oh it's Little Harry." There was no way he could find a job with these people.

Seeing that these comments caused his dad to grimace lifted Albus' spirits slightly. Not that he wanted Dad to suffer but misery loves company, as the muggles say. Harry escorted Albus to a cubicle that seemed to be emanating the faint sound of rock music.

Rapping the cubicle wall slightly, Harry said, "Savage, I'd like to introduce to my son, Albus. He'll be shadowing you around for a few days." The auror, who looks to be in his early 20s, nodded at Harry and, tried to covertly turn off a device that was playing music. "Albus, this is Brandon Savage. He works on crimes that involve children. You'll be watching him work – not doing any of it, got it?" Harry asked looking at each of them for affirmation. "Good. I'll see you at the end of the day."

Savage poked his head out of the cube and waited for Harry to go into his office before cracking a grin at Albus and saying, "Nice to meet you," and shaking Albus' hand. "What do you want to know about being an auror?"

Suddenly wishing he'd given this a little though, Al shrugged. "What is there you can tell me?"

Savage laughed, "How about I show you around. Let people meet you."

Albus blushed and said, "I think they all know who I am."

"Knowing who you are and knowing you are completely different. If you don't go say 'hi' to people, they'll just think you're 'Potter's son'. Trust me on this one," Savage said with a laugh.

"Were your parents aurors?" Albus asked guessing that Brandon had been greeted as someone else's relative when he started.

"Oh no, but my uncle was. He died before I was born and a handful of people, including your dad and uncle, knew him," Brandon said grabbing a stack of papers from his desk and standing up. "I spent a few weeks as 'Savage's nephew' but then I, uh, became Savage to them," he laughed at the last part.

Brandon walked Albus around and introduced him to anyone who was at their desk. Everyone seemed to know who he was but still greeted him like he was a new person rather than the boss' son. At the back of headquarters, close to Harry's office, there was a wall of photos with all aurors who had retired or died on duty. In his years of visiting his dad at work, Albus had never stopped to really take in the names. There were over 100 faces and names on the wall memorized for future generations to see.

"Is this your uncle here?" Albus asked pointing to a photo of a man who resembled Brandon.

Nodding, Brandon said, "He died on duty 24 years ago, a year before I was born. Mum wasn't happy when I told her I was joining up with the aurors – she's 'fraid I'll go the same way as Uncle Brad."

Albus glanced at Brandon for a moment and could tell by the look in his eyes that this wasn't necessarily information he shared with most people. "I guess being a hero runs in the family," he said with a shy smile.

"So do good looks and a penchant for tattoos," Brandon said grinning. "But who am I to brag?" Albus grinned at the auror and felt a stirring in his stomach that he hadn't felt comfortably for most of the year – attraction. "Let's see what kind of trouble we're getting into today," Brandon said turning towards his desk.

Shadowing Brandon on the job turned out to be more fun than Albus thought it would be. While the job itself was interesting enough to keep Albus preoccupied, Brandon enthralled Albus with his kindness, easy smile, and quirky humor. Albus had been certain that he'd he holed up with someone akin to the auror Mad-Eye Moody he had heard his dad and Uncle Ron talk about at great length. While the auror had been a great wizard and captured more Dark wizards than any other person, he always sounded a bit off in the stories. Not to mention that the Ministry had always seemed to be full of _old_ people each time Albus visited as a kid. Brandon was old enough to do his job but not so old that he treated Al like a child.

On Friday that week, they went out to lunch just outside the Ministry. They were returning from an investigation of child endangerment that had taken up most of the morning. The café was bustling with people so they had to wait for a table. "It looks like there's demand for another restaurant here," Albus commented while they read the menu.

"You should open one then," Brandon suggested while squinting to read the soup du jour sign. "If you do, make sure they do good soup." Albus nodded, grinning slightly. He couldn't help but wonder if Brandon was just being nice or sometimes flirted with him. The idea of Brandon intentionally flirting made Albus' stomach squirm in delight.

They ordered and got a table along the window of the restaurant. Despite the long wait for a seat, the food came up rather fast. Albus accepted the ham and cheese sandwich with chips while Brandon welcomed his grilled cheese and tomato soup. Neither spoke for a few minutes while they dug into their meals. That was until Albus glanced up and saw a bit of tomato soup on Brandon's chin.

"You have some soup du jour on your chin, Bran," Albus said trying to hold in his grin. Brandon wiped but missed the spot entirely. "Here," Albus leaned across the table and blotted off the bit of soup. "You don't want that to become the soup de demain." Realizing that he was mere inches from Brandon, Albus sat back down with a thud.

"Thanks for that, Al," Brandon said with his warm smile and flushed cheeks. "Do you want to grab a drink with me after work? I know this really cool pub and it would be a good way to celebrate your week of job shadowing," Brandon said all this in on breath as if worried the words would clog in his throat if left to linger.

Without hesitation Albus agreed to go. After lunch, the day seemed to drag on as the clock ticked closer to the end of the afternoon. Deciding to let his dad know that he wouldn't be going home right after work, Al popped into Harry's office. When he heard the door click, Harry looked up and asked, "How can I help you, Albus?"

"I'm going to a pub with Brandon, er Savage, after work," Albus said smiling brightly. Harry didn't respond right away, rather he adjusted some paperwork on his desk. "I mean, if that's okay with you," Albus added quickly.

Harry suppressed a grin as he said, "Have a good time." Not being entirely blind to the on-goings in his department, he had seen how Albus and Brandon were grinning together in the hallways and that they were, as if on cue, exchanging shy glances at each other while the other wasn't looking. "Try to be home at a decent time and don't apparate if you're too drunk." Nodding, Albus left Harry's office and scurried to Brandon's cubicle.

The small pub Brandon took Albus to was just a few blocks from the Ministry. It was dimly lit and had a handful of tables through the bar. "Hi, Jimmy," Brandon called to the middle-aged man behind the bar. "Two pints and an order of chips, please," he said as they settled at a table a bit back from the door.

Their table was small enough that the pair sat with their knees almost touching. Jimmy brought out the beers and fries within no time. "Here you go, lads," he said setting down their order before checking on the other patrons.

A few sips of beer later, Albus could feel his head tingle pleasantly. Their conversation flowed as easy beer from the tap and continued on for a good part of the evening. Albus was recounting how he turned James' hair green before a quidditch match against Slytherin a few years back. "He didn't hear that his team was trying to call to him as they walked out on the pitch. I got him as he left the locker room. He was so perplexed by the cheers from my house that he missed at least four goals," Albus said turning red in the face from laughing.

Brandon was laughing hard enough that tears were threatening to leak from his eyes. "I like you, Al." The words came out so casually and effortlessly that it took them both a few moments before either of them reacted. The bright red flush that had dominated Brandon's face left as he blanched. "I didn't mean to say that," he fumbled. "I meant it, just – Merlin, I'm bungling this."

Albus ran his hand nervously through his hair as he said, "If it helps, I like you too." His breathing seemed to rocket out of control in the moments that passed. Feeling the pressure of his writhing stomach and a surging sense of desire, Albus leaned towards Brandon and was delighted when he closed the distanced causing their lips to meet in the softest of kisses.

When they pulled apart, a few moments or several hours later, Jimmy wolf whistled and a few of the other tables clapped. Ablus looked around at the pub and saw the men and women return to their drinks and conversations. A surge of pleasure that was quite disconnected with his kiss hit him – this is what it was like to have someone who was not ashamed to be together.

Weeks passed and Albus made a point to see Brandon when they were both free in the evenings. Harry had Albus in a different department of the Ministry each week so there was little time for the two young men to see each other during work hours. Brandon was not only fun to spend time with but was free with his affection toward Albus. They held hands at the park while they walked through the garden path and occasionally kissed while out in public – not to mention many times in private.

It therefore was with little apprehension that Albus told his mum and dad that Brandon would be coming with him to the family picnic that weekend. Brandon was excited to meet Albus' large family but felt slight apprehension about seeing his boss in such a personal setting. However, it was Rose who was the focus of the family gathering, not Albus and his friend.

Rose ran up to Albus and enveloped him in a hug. "I've missed you!" she said with her head still against his chest. "And who is your friend?" she asked in a low whisper. "Is he why you look so perky?"

Pulling out of the hug, Albus turned toward Brandon. "Rose, this is Brandon, my um-"

"Boyfriend," Brandon said offering up the term with a grin. "It's nice to meet you, Rose. Al's told me a lot about you."

Raising her eyebrows at Albus, Rose said, "We'll have to talk later," before running towards Louis and Dominique.

As the crowd shifted Albus could see the blond head of Scorpius, who had been temporarily abandoned by his girlfriend. He was talking to Hugo before he caught sight of Albus and Brandon and turned toward them. The smile that was on the young Malfoy's face turned into a grimace as he approached Albus and his eyes reached the point where Al's hand held Brandon's.

Stopping just in front of the new couple, Scorpius forgot the manners he had been so carefully raised to follow and did not say hello or introduce himself. Albus covered the silence by introducing his previous lover with his current. "Brandon, this is Scorpius Malfoy. We just graduated Hogwarts together. Scorpius, Brandon is an auror."

It was clear to Brandon that there was more between these two than time spent at school together but before he could lighten the mood, Scorpius said, "Dating someone from Daddy's office, are we? Hoping to get a leg up at work?"

Before Brandon could do more than open his mouth to rebut the foul comment, Albus had pulled back his fist and laid a blow on Scorpius' jaw. It seemed that the entire party stopped in that moment. No one had ever seen a display of muggle dueling at a family event. "Albus!" came Ginny's sharp voice. Scorpius and Albus met eyes for a moment before Ginny got between them. That moment was enough for them to know that nothing would be the same.

A/N:

Du jour is French for "of day" and "de demain" means of tomorrow. Cause, you know, soup du jour is the soup of the day and if it stayed around until tomorrow it would be the soup of tomorrow. IT'S FUNNY!


	5. Red Line

It was Freddie's shout of "Snake fight!" that pulled Albus back to the party. He had been momentarily lost in anger and shame. Knowing that there wouldn't be a way to undo the moment or return to the happy comfort that he had been lavished in previously, Albus turned to his mum and dad, "I'm sorry," came his voice sounding unusually curt. "We're going to leave; please tell Gran and Grandad goodbye for me."

Before his parents could do more than open their mouths to protest before Albus headed towards the garden boundary with Brandon trailing behind him. "Do you want to come by my place?" Brandon asked squeezing Albus' hand.

Smiling slightly Albus nodded. "I should leave a note for my parents though – let's stop at my house first. I don't want them to worry."

It only took 10 minutes for them to apparate from the Burrow to the Potter residence and leave a note saying that Al would be with Brandon and not to worry. "We can floo to my place," Brandon said trying to hide his curiosity about Albus' behavior. He figured it would be a matter of time until Al explained what had just happened. "It's small and probably a bit messier than you're used to."

When Albus stumbled out of the fire and into Brandon's flat, he had a few moments a lone to observe the bachelor flat. Al decided that it couldn't be much larger than the living and dining room at his parent's house. There were a handful of muggle and magical posters on the wall and enough furniture for one – that is hardly any furniture at all. Brandon bumped into Al when he came out of the fire, knocking both of them into the futon. What started as a jumble of arms and legs became tender cuddling.

Albus felt incredibly safe with Brandon's arm wrapped around his shoulders. Kissing Al on the top of his head, Bran ventured, "Do you want to talk about it?" A few moments passed before Brandon continued, "Everyone has a bad ex situation. Heck, there are a few witches I can't be in the same room with or they'll claw my eyes out."

Frowning slightly, Albus pulled his head away from Brandon's chest and looked into his dark eyes. "You've dated witches?" he asked feeling unsettled by this revelation.

"A fair share of them. A handful of blokes too, Al," Brandon said evenly. Albus let the information wash over him unsure of how it made him feel. Seeming to guess Al's uncertainty with this information, Brandon pushed on, "I'm attracted to people, their personality, character, and looks, first and genitals second. I just don't like to use labels to define who I can like."

The concept was new to Albus but it was one he could fit into his worldview. He sat up and swung his leg over Brandon's lap so that he was straddling the now grinning man. "I guess that makes sense," Al said kissing Brandon.

The kissing was divine so it took Bran more than a few minutes to remember there was the outstanding ex question. Pulling back to catch his breath, Brandon asked, "Is this just a lovely distraction from telling me about your mysterious past?"

"Maybe I'm just distracting myself," Al said with a shrug. "Maybe it's because I want to."

Sensing that there was something critical to Albus' past lying just under the surface, Brandon decided not to let the topic slide. "Let me guess then – you dated the tall, good-looking blond man who, in an act of jealousy provoked you to anger." Al looked slightly taken aback which caused Brandon to laugh. "It's not that hard to put together, Al. At least not for someone who's had a few bad breakups."

"I guess there's no hiding the truth from you," Al said coquettishly. Sighing, Al decided to let the other shoe drop. "Scorpius and I were dating, in a very loose sense of the word. We had this incredible relationship when we were alone but in front of people we were best friends but nothing more." He had to take a steadying breath. Albus had kept all of the love and hurt bottled up and was surprised how easy it was to tell these secrets to Brandon. "He always said we could only be friends and that I'd never get more than that." A slight frown was forming on Brandon's face as he listened to Al but he did not interrupt. "Last winter he started dating my cousin – like some switch flipped in his head. She has no idea he and I were ever more than friends. His parents, they're obsessed with ensuring their family name goes on," Al added feeling the need to give a slight explanation for Scorpius' uncontainable behavior.

Brandon wasn't sure whether he should rage against the blond idiot, pledge to never hurt Al like that, or just cry out of empathy for his past pain. The only action his body would permit was pulling Albus into a tight hug. "You're so strong," he whispered running a hand through Albus' untidy hair. Albus stayed with Brandon through that weekend, returning home Sunday night.

Brandon strolled into work at 8 AM on the dot Monday morning making a quick list of the cases he needed to pursue that day. Just as he sat at the small cubicle that was his home away from home, Harry Potter walked up to him and asked for a word in his office. Stomach suddenly in knots, Brandon followed Harry.

"Please, sit down," Harry said indicated the chair opposite his desk. "I wanted to check on the Idler case. Your case notes indicated signs of magical abuse."

Relief flooded Brandon – he had been expecting questions about Albus. "That's correct. I filled out a request to put a tracking charm on the house to catch any dark or harmful spells. The approval just came through so I'll be following up on that today."

"That's good to hear," Harry said with a smile. He paused a moment as if struggling with something then asked, "Do you know what happened between Scorpius and Albus this weekend?"

This was the moment where Brandon's line between personal and professional spheres would be tested. Resolving to keep Albus' confidence, he said, "Al told me what happened." When Harry merely raised an eyebrow in response, Brandon continued, "That conversation was between Albus and me. I'd tell you in a moment, sir, if it involved a magical law or open case." Taking in a deep breath, he went on, "However, I don't feel it would be right to reveal what we talked about in private."

Harry's cheeks were flushed and he diverted his eyes in what looked to be shame. "I… er, you're absolutely right, Savage," he said reverting to the auror and not the dad. "I apologize for asking – it wasn't my place."

"You're concerned which I can understand," Brandon said standing and returning to his cubicle.

While Harry has satisfied to let Albus keep his rift a secret, Rose was determined to get to the bottom of it. She had interrogated Scorpius after getting him ice for his jaw and ensuring that his face had not been damaged. He claimed that Albus had just gone off his rocker which didn't sit right with Rose but she didn't pursue it with Scorpius. Hearing that Al would be home Monday, she visited unannounced and uninvited.

"Al!" Rose called from outside her cousin's room. Lily, who was home for the summer poked her head out of her bedroom door. "Is he in there?" she asked feeling ready to blow the door down.

"I think so," Lily said cautiously. It made her uncomfortable to see Rose so angry at Al. Punching Scorpius had been such an extreme action for her brother that Lily assumed there was a good reason for it.

"Come in before you take the door on its hinge," came Al's voice from inside his room. Rose opened the door and strode into the room with gusto. With a quick wave of his wand, Al shut the door behind his willowy cousin. "I suppose you want to talk," he said sardonically.

Sitting backwards on his desk chair, Rose nodded. "What happened Saturday?" she asked narrowing her eyes at Al.

"Well, I got up, showered, played James at chess and lost- "

"You know what I mean, Albus," Rose said tersely. "What happened between you two?"

"Weren't there enough eyes for you to get the story? My fist, his face, a snake fight, as Freddie put it," Albus said with a smile at the growing frustration showing on his cousin's face.

"Al, don't be such a berk. I know Mum would see me prosecuted but don't think I'm above unforgivable curses," she said tapping her wand menacingly.

Albus gave Rose a piercing stare before moving towards the truth. He had hoped to never tell his cousin about the nature of his relationship with Scorpius. Deciding that she could hear parts of his past turmoil, Al said, "Scorpius and I were involved for a period at school." Rose's face fell – already the news was worse than she had imagined. "He had foul things to say about Brandon and I Saturday which caused my fist to find his face. I really just thought Grandad would like to see a muggle fight," Al said grinning, hoping to perk Rose up.

"Why wouldn't Scorpius tell me about you?" she asked twisting a lock of hair with one hand.

This was where Albus would have to lie. Rose seemed too happy with Scorpius for him ruin it with the treachery that could easily poison their relationship. "I really can't tell you," he said shortly. "Are you happy with him?" Albus asked leaning slightly towards Rose.

"Y-yes," Rose stammered.

He could see in her eyes that this answer had been shaken by their conversation. "Then don't worry about what there was between Scorpius and me," Al said simply. "I just want you to be happy."

Clearly assuaged by her cousin's words, Rose grinned mischievously and asked, "So, what's the dish on Brandon? Or did you think Scorpius was the only one to see your arm-candy?" They both laughed as Albus blushed as red as Rose's hair. It felt nice to detail his relationship without secrecy and hiding. Rose teased Albus about fishing around the Ministry for a date. While this had been the gist of Scorpius' taunt, Rose was coming from a place of love and teasing versus malice and spite.

Mid-September, Albus made a coffee date with Cindy to catch up on her summer. She had been planning on travelling then taking up a job at the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. They met at a small café called Scyphus just a few doors from Weasley Wizard Wheezes. After a brief hug, they sat at a table for two.

"Al, you're absolutely glowing," Cindy noted with relish. "Please fill me in on every detail of your summer."

It was easy for Albus to relay, and slightly brag about, the fact that he was dating someone who he quite liked. "It's just nice to not sneak about to have a snog," he said breaking off a piece of biscotti and dunking it in his cappuccino.

"Speaking of snogging," Cindy started with an excited grin, "You won't guess who I've been seeing."

Albus leaned back in his chair to think this over. "Probably not the giant squid," he guessed causing Cindy to roll her eyes. "I don't know, Cin. Who is Mister Charming?"

"Douglas Dawlish," she said with a gleam in her eyes. "He asked me out at King's Cross just moments before my parents were there to get me. I figured, why not, so we went on a few days and, now we're kind of going steady."

"Going steady?" Al asked, scrutinizing the term more than the status.

"Or we're exclusive, whatever you want to call it," Cindy said waving a hand around to show her indifference at the exact term. "Do I get to meet this Brandon you're so enamored with?"

"Just as long as you don't tell him I'm enamored," Al teased. "Don't want to scare him off," he said laughing.

"I start work in a few weeks; let's meet after work that Friday and celebrate my first full week of employment," Cindy suggested with a grin. They agreed that it was a date.

"Good luck with your job – don't blow anything up," he said with a smirk. Going their separate ways once outside the café, Albus turned towards his uncle's store deciding to pay a visit.

The bell at the door gave a light tinkle as Albus walked inside. He spotted George right away as he was demonstrating the effects of one of his classic inventions, the Nosebleed Nougat. "Great for getting out of tasks you'd rather avoid – just pop other side of the toffee in your mouth to stop the nosebleed and replenish your lost blood." The crowd of kids around George clapped and cheered; several picked up boxes with the variety pack of skiving snack boxes. Spotting his nephew, George cut through the crowd and called out, "Abus, what brings you in today?"

"Just thought I'd stop by and see how the Shocking Sugar Quills I was tinkering with turned out," Al said as George showed him up to the small office over the shop.

"They're splendid," George said as he took a seat. "You really have a knack for invention, Al."

"Oh I don't know about that," Al said blushing. "I was just tweaking what you already had going."

Rolling his eyes, George said, "Tinkering is the gateway to invention, Albus. That's how Fred and I started." It was rare for George to talk about his brother; Al knew that all too well. "Just think about what you could make," he said not meeting Albus' gaze.

Albus left the shop with his mind on what he could invent or how he'd be able to use his creative use of spells in a career. The Department of Mysteries seemed to work on understanding the trickier areas of magic but Albus wasn't sure if he wanted a government job. He let the idea sink into his deeper thoughts – he had time to decide on his future.

Brandon was quite excited to meet one of Albus' school friends who wouldn't incite physical violence. He did not expect to meet a young witch with bloodshot red eyes two mugs of ale down the gullet already.

"You must be Brandon," she said with a slight rancor to her voice.

Putting an arm around her, Al cooed, "What's the matter, Cindy? Was your first week of work that horrible?" Albus had now seen enough departments in the Ministry to understand how some could bore someone to tears but these tears from Cindy seemed to have a deeper cause that workplace blues.

"It's that stupid pig, Dawlish," Cindy muttered. "I caught him cheating on me with some witch he met doing tryouts."

Seeing that Albus was floundering with advice to give, Brandon was the first to offer advice. "Dawlish? I worked his dad before he retired – you're better off in the long run, sweetie. His dad's a terror and it sounds like the son is the same."

They moved from the bar, where Cindy had been planted, to a table where they could better talk. Cindy was munching on crispy chips to give her stomach something more than the booze she had consumed. Popping a chip into her mouth, she continued on with her melancholy. "He was the first boy to show interest in me," she hiccupped. "I'm not the prettiest girl out there."

This time Albus was able to console his friend. "You _are_ pretty, Cindy," he smiled at the unintentional rhyme. "Dawlish doesn't have an appreciation for the finer things in life." Cindy wore a watery smile. "You just need someone else who will see you for how amazing you are then it will all pan out."

Brandon bit his lip and looked like he wanted to say something but then took a sip of his beer instead. Deciding to steer the conversation away from relationship trouble Brandon suggested that they take over the recently vacated billiards table. "I'll be watching for inappropriate wand use," he said once Cindy and Albus had cue sticks in hand.

"You'd know all about inappropriate wand use," Albus said with a playful nudge. Cindy, who was starting to perk up a bit, muttered something under her breath which sounded a lot like 'boys.'

Rose was approaching Malfoy Manor for the second time in recent weeks. She had first visited to dine with the Malfoy family. The experience had been rather intimidating as Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, while welcoming, were quite austere and foreboding. The manor was not as large as Hogwarts but she felt that the manor's point of reference was testament enough to its enormity.

Scorpius invited Rose over on this particular warm September day because his parents would not be home. He wanted a chance to talk with Rose about the future and he couldn't bear to have either of their families interfere with what he wanted to ask her.

Opening the front door, Scorpius reached out for Rose's hand and pulled her into the foyer. The door swung shut as he enveloped her in a sensual kiss. Her lips were soft against his and he quite enjoyed the way her hand would always find its way to his lower back as if too shy to squeeze his bum but brave enough to stay dangerously close. "I've missed you," he said in a husky voice.

It was strange for Scorpius to feel so passionate and lascivious at home. He tried to push the memory of the last time he felt this way – when he and Albus had danced at his parent's party – out of his mind. Throughout the summer, Rose had been keen to sneak Scorpius to her parent's house while they were out or snog while they were out late visiting various pubs and walking through empty parks. Rose gazed into Scorpius' face, brown eyes meeting grey, and could see there was more on his mind than snogging.

"I missed you too," she breathed. "Are your parents here?" she asked looking over Scorpius' shoulder.

"They're in France meeting with potential business partners," Scorpius reassured her. "I thought it'd be nice to – well, not have our families hanging over us for once."

Rose flung her arms out, began to spin and said, as she tilted her head back, "So we can be _free_."

Scorpius gulped as he watched the pretty redhead twirl in the large entryway. "Something like that," he said in a choked voice. He felt far from free. "Do you want to go up to my room?"

The spinning stopped immediately and a wicked grin spread on Rose's face. "That sounds promising," she said entwining her hand in his. "Lead the way or show me a map."

They walked up two flights of stairs and down the hallway that lead to Scorpius' room. Once the door was shut behind them, Rose's hand went to the buttons of her top. Scorpius turned towards his girlfriend and was pleasantly surprised to see her in just an undershirt. "I, uh, thought we could talk," he stammered.

"In your bedroom?" Rose asked raising an eyebrow. "That's not usually where people go to _talk_."

A blush crept up Scorpius' neck. This is where _he_ went to talk. "It's the only room here that's mine," he said trying not sound embarrassed.

Rose sat at the edge of Scorpius' large bed. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked not sure what could be so important.

"Have you thought about your, I mean, our future?" he spurted feeling that a troll would have more grace with this conversation.

Future – the very nebulous idea that Rose could not define for any part of her life, let alone her love life. "I'm not sure I follow," she said not wanting to just tell him no, she hadn't given it though.

The red that started on Scorpius' neck spread to his cheeks. "Do you think marriage is something you'd consider?" he asked wishing his voice would stop shaking.

She couldn't handle the pressure behind the question, so Rose stood up and started to pace the room. "I haven't really considered it, Scoprius," she said unable to keep the distress from her voice. "One day, I'd like to get married." Seeing the hopeful look in Scorpius' eyes she added hastily, "to someone, that is."

"But not to me?" he asked not masking the sting in his voice.

"Merlin if I know! I like you and think you're fun – despite your bit of skullduggery with my cousin – but I'm not ready to be in it for life. Not with you and no with anyone." Rose felt panicky at the thought, the presumption of marriage at her age. "I'm still trying to figure out who I am," Rose added waving her hand about dramatically.

Wanderlust – Scorpius thought he had seen it in Rose before. She'd never feel ready for the next big step in life, preferring to find comfort in new adventures rather than planting herself in one place. "I was afraid you'd say that," he said in a quiet voice.

"Is that what you want?" Rose asked looking painfully aware that she might have just tread heavily on Scorpius' feelings. He nodded, feeling unable to outright lie about his pressure to marry and procreate. Rose sat next to Scorpius and held his hand gently saying, "I'm sorry, Scorpius. I'm just not there." He nodded again wanting to confess he wasn't there either. Instead he let Rose carry on. "I don't want to lead you on – maybe we should stop seeing each other."

It had been easy to let Rose end their relationship and politely walk her to the door, much too easy. Scorpius did care for her but not in the way that had caused his heart to be ripped out when he saw Albus holding hands with another man. "Take care, Rose," Scorpius said kissing her softly on the cheek. She smiled but was lost for words other than 'goodbye' and 'see you around.' Despite having initiated their breakup, Rose felt a pang at hurting Scorpius with her need for a carefree love life.

When Scorpius' parents returned from their trip, he felt minor comfort in not being alone with his thoughts. He didn't intend to tell them about his breakup with Rose until he absolutely had to – that was until his mum asked when she'd be over again. "We broke up," he confessed not looking either parent in the eye.

A fork clattered against the floor. "When were you going to tell us?" Draco asked waspishly. Scorpius knew his father didn't care to hear the answer. "I suppose this means you've gotten all the Weasley out of your system."

Astoria's face was full of concern as she watched Scorpius' eyes well with tears. "I'm so sorry, dear. I could introduce you to some lovely witches from," she paused glancing at her husband, "better families."

No – he would not be forced into another farcical relationship to appease his parents. Scorpius knew he had to fight their control or lose it forever. "I don't need you to find me another girlfriend," he said resolutely.

"Have one lined up already?" his dad asked accepting a fresh fork from their house-elf.

"I meant that I'm not going to date another woman," Scorpius clarified. "I tried it like you asked, mother, but it didn't work out and I'd rather date blokes."

Judging from the sharp look his parents exchanged, Scorpius guessed that his mum hadn't mentioned their conversation from the previous winter. "If you want to be part of this family, you will do as we say," Draco spat.

"Draco, honey, let's wait and discuss this tomorrow," Astoria offered gently.

Draco ignored his wife's suggestion. "We'll settle this now," he said darkly. "If you're refusing to date and marry a witch, you can leave this house and never come back again. No help, no money, no inheritance."

Astoria mouthed wordlessly at her husband's words but Scorpius had his answer ready. "Deal," he said coldly. He stood from his chair and set his napkin on the table. "I'll be out of here tonight."

Scorpius didn't bother to watch his parent's reactions before leaving the dining room. He imagined that his father's face would show infuriation at the defiance whereas his mother would look stricken at the loss of her son. Once in his room, rather his former room, Scorpius pulled out his trunk and packed it as he had done for so many trips to Hogwarts. This time he knew that there would be no returning for treasures so he cast an undetectable extension charm on the green trunk and quickly packed his life away.

His mother didn't knock before coming in, the circumstances were too severe for her to stand on formality. "Don't try to talk me out of it," Scorpius said sharply.

A clink of gold caused Scorpius to look towards his desk. "I'm not going to talk you out of it," Astoria said with tears in her blue eyes. "I want you to have this – it's all the gold I have on hand. You can live for at least a few months on that," she said softly.

Scorpius stopped packing and hugged his mother. "Thank you," he said fighting the urge to mimic his mother's tears.

"I never fought for my dreams," she said in a shaky voice. "I'm proud of you for following yours." Kissing his forehead, Astoria stepped away from Scorpius and left him to finish packing.

The hall and entryway were empty when Scorpius left. He imagined that his father would refuse to acknowledge his departure for several days and that his mother could not bear a true farewell. The night air felt chilly but refreshing after being holed up in Malfoy Manor for so long. Feeling that, for the first time in his life, he was his own person; Scorpius was free.

A/N: One more chapter before the end! I hope you've enjoyed this so far. How do you think the relationships should pan out at this point?


	6. Red Balloon

Crisp autumn air whipped around Albus' face as he pushed open the heavy door to Weasley Wizard Wheezes. He spent the last few months splitting his time between a part time job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation in the commerce division and his uncle's shop as a store clerk some days and tinkerer on others. Today he would be a clerk and wait on customers. Now that school was in session again, most of the clientele were younger children whose purchases were conducted through their parents. In the wizarding world, there were not many toy shops for families to frequent. Weasley Wizard Wheezes was often the store children begged to visit while their parents ran errands which led to at last three tantrums outside the store door every day.

Inside the shop, Albus could see Uncle George juggling for two young children. They gasped and then squealed with delight as the balls continued to fly up into the air while George held his hands aloft. "Self-juggling balls – they can be used to impress your friends," he said to the awed children whose parents had gathered behind them. Al scurried behind the counter as two of the families lined up to buy the self-juggling balls. Once they had cycled through the line, George approached the counter.

"Busy day?" Albus asked as he deposited the sickles he had just collected into the till.

"Quite eventful," George murmured examining their inventory list. "Did you know that the Malfoy boy opened a potions shop down the street?" His uncle waited for some sort of reaction from Albus, feeling curious how he'd react to news of the boy he had struck at a family gathering. Albus raised the corners of his mouth in acknowledgement of this news. "I've seen him walk by here quite a few times," he added.

"A potion shop will do well," Albus said automatically. "Do you want me to send off these orders from the owl service?" Albus asked to not have to think about the new business down the street or its owner. That afternoon he wrestled with the idea of Scorpius working so close to where he spent half of his days. There was no longer a pang of longing when he thought of his former lover but the pain from their misshapen relationship still stung.

Brandon was an ever-present source of comfort for Albus. His steady devotion and maturity enveloped Albus in a way he didn't know was possible. That evening Brandon had dinner at the Potter residence. The first time he was over for dinner, not counting the time Albus punched Scorpius, there was a layer of tension around the room while the family adjusted to Al's older boyfriend who worked with Harry. Ginny broke through the mood by telling Brandon that she once broke his uncle's nose when Harry and Ron invited him to the Burrow for Christmas. After a round of laughter swept the room, everyone relaxed a bit and enjoyed normal conversation.

They didn't see each other every night but Al was extremely relieved when Brandon trailed in after his dad that night. Albus embraced Brandon tightly then caught his dad's expectant look. "Oh, hi, Dad," Albus said releasing Brandon. "Have a good day?" It was with an impatient courtesy that Al listened to Harry's response and volleyed back his answers. After the perfunctory exchange, Albus said, "Mum said dinner is in half an hour. I'm going up to my room."

After extracting Brandon from his conversation with James, who was recounting an especially difficult goal he made in quidditch practice that day, Albus led Brandon upstairs to his room. Once the door was shut, Al pulled Brandon into another tight embrace. "Tough day?" Brandon asked running his hand through Al's already messy hair.

"I'm just glad to have you," Al murmured into Bran's neck. "I don't know what I'd do by myself."

Kissing Albus on the forehead, Brandon asked, "What's got you so upset?"

"It's…" Al swallowed hard then continued, "I'm not upset, promise. Today I realized that I'm so much happier with you."

"Than?" Brandon asked raising an eyebrow.

"I was alone or with Scorpius."

Brandon sat on Albus' bed. "Hm," was all he said in response. Albus sauntered over and gently pushed Bran against the bed giving him small kisses as he leaned back. Slow kisses and roaming hands caused thirty minutes to feel like five. Ginny's voice at the door telling them dinner was on caused Brandon so sit up looking startled. "Be down in a mo', Mrs. P," he called. Once her footsteps faded away, he asked in a low voice in Albus' ear, "Your family would noticed if I kept you in here for dinner, wouldn't they?"

Straightening out his wrinkled shirt, Albus smiled, "I think they can count to 5. If it were the _entire_ family, no one would notice us gone for a meal – except Gran."

They were both laughing when they took their seats at the table. Dinner was enjoyable even with James detailing the new players for the Wanderers. "Then there's Mason, the bloke who has to hop on his broom like he's doing a ballet," James grumbled to his less than enthused audience. "Sure, he's a decent beater but he prances about looking a fool."

Harry glanced at Ginny who jumped into the conversation. "There was a player with the Harpies who did that and fell in front of the crowd at our first game that season," she paused while Harry laughed but then continued on before James could start back on his team. "Albus, dear, how was George today?"

"Uh, good," Ablus said through his bite of steak and kidney pie. Swallowing he said, "We had a fair bit of traffic through the store – mostly younger kids."

"Do you manage the ankle-biters pretty well, then?" Brandon asked holding in a smirk.

"After growing up with this lot, it's a piece of cake," Albus said grinning until he caught Ginny's eyes. "I mean, with so many loving cousins I learned valuable life skills that will help me in my career."

Ginny rolled her eyes but couldn't conceal the grin she had at her son's snark. "Do you have a large family, Brandon?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, ma'am. Just me and one cousin who is a few years older."

"You're lucky," James said pushing his empty plate away. "I could turn around at school without running into one of my cousins."

"You have to understand, Sav- Brandon, that James is upset by that because it made it harder for him to sneak off and break rules at school with so many eyes," Harry said grinning at how many owls he had from one of his nieces, nephews, or in-laws conveying the most recent trouble James had been in.

"To be fair," Ginny started glancing at Harry. "There were times at school where I wished I had less brothers hanging about." She reached over and caressed his hand tenderly.

"Oi, Mum, we're right here," James said groaning.

Albus was laughing at James when he said, "Yeah, Mum, much more handholding and you'll have to tell James about the birds and the bees."

After dinner, and goodbyes to the rest of the family, Albus walked Brandon out where he could apparate. "I hope they're not too weird for you," he said shyly, leaning against the fence for the neighbors. "It must be weird seeing Dad outside of work."

"They're not terribly weird, Al," Brandon said running a finger down Albus' cheek. "Harry is decent at work so it's not too strange seeing him relaxed at home," he added. Brandon's face was mere inches from Al.

Al couldn't believe how much his stomach squirmed with delight when Brandon was this close to him. Every kiss and caress was divinity and when they were even more intimate Albus felt alive and free. When Brandon's lips began to slowly move against his own, Al knew that everything he had with Scorpius was quite the opposite from this. That had been furtive and subvert – he wouldn't let that shame and anxiety haunt him anymore. Letting thoughts of his ex seep away, Albus melted into Brandon.

"Maybe I could sneak you in," Al suggested in a husky voice. "We could cast a silencing charm and no one would notice."

Brandon's smile was warm when he said, "I'm not sure I could look your dad in the face if he and I left for work together in the morning." Brushing a stray wisp of hair from Albus' face, Brandon added, "We'll see each other Friday and can stay the night together then."

While he didn't want to wait a few days for intimate fun with Brandon, Albus agreed and bade the handsome auror goodnight.

Scorpius had a stack of flyers ready to hand to the shop owners around Diagon Alley. He knew the older shops would reject and offer to cross-promote their businesses together as he was competing with a rather old and well-established store. Mr. Mulpepper's Apothecary sold potion ingredients and a few basic potions that could be easily brewed at home. Scorpius was hoping to target witches and wizards who either weren't qualified or interested in brewing difficult common potions.

Over the last week he had visited almost every shop but avoided Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Part of him was nervous to visit because of his breakup with Rose but he was mainly anxious about running into Albus who seemed to be working there.

This would be the third time Scorpius attempted to visit the Weasley's store, having walked past the last two times when Albus' dark head of hair could be seen from the door. He hoped it looked like he was window shopping rather than feeling too anxious at the prospect of talking to his former lover. Steeling himself as he strode down the street on the sunny November day, Scorpius opened the door without looking into the popular shop.

Albus was at the counter and didn't look up from the as he called out, "Good afternoon," but looked up to say, "How can I help—" The sight of Scorpius stopped him talking mid-sentence. "Scorpius," he said curtly. "What brings you in?"

Wishing that his cheeks would stop turning red, he made his request, "Could I speak to George? I have flyers I've been asking other shops to give out in exchange for me directing people to their stores."

"Let me go get him," Al said ducking under the counter.

Not a minute later George Weasley was talking business and marketing with Scorpius. "I've heard there's quite the kerfuffle over your idea," George said with a grin that reminded Scorpius of Albus with its youthful glow. "I really don't need extra promotion myself but I wouldn't mind shaking a few cages," he said kindly. "Leave a stack on the counter and I'll see that they get handed out with a kind word."

Scorpius couldn't quite believe his luck – a good word from this shop would certainly send customers his way. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "If you do need anything or if I can do anything—"

George waved his hand as if to say it wasn't necessary. "Everyone needs a leg up, even a Malfoy."

Albus sauntered down from the office and started stocking shelf behind the counter. George handed him the stack of flyers and told him to make sure every customer got one before returning to his office. Turning in time to see Scorpius at the door he said, "Good luck with your company."

"Thanks, Albus," Scorpius said before leaving.

It was the first time since Scorpius broke his heart that Al didn't feel his wounds painfully split open after an interaction. It was liberating to not feel the shackles of heartache and longing from a happenstance social encounter.

That evening, Albus and Brandon went out together in London. They were both quite randy after not seeing each for a week and had to exercise great restraint to have dinner and a bit of fun on the dance floor before returning to Bran's flat and losing their clothes. After satiating one another's lascivious needs, Brandon got up for water. "It looks like a tornado hit my flat," he said returning with a glass. "Hey, my eyes are up here, Potter," he said catching Albus' eyes focused on a less than polite area to stare at.

"I know where your eyes are, Savage. I wasn't looking at them," Al teased.

"At least I know why you keep me around," Brandon said getting back into bed.

Albus curled up next to Brandon, running his hands over Bran's chest. "Something good happened today," Al announced.

"Oh yeah?"

"Well, it was a change at least," Albus said with a grin. Brandon raised his eyebrows prompting Albus to get on with his news. "Scorpius came into the shop asking Uncle George to promote his store and, well, that's not the point. It's just that I saw him and talked to him without getting all," Al gesticulated vaguely, "batty."

Brandon rolled to his side to face Albus better. "That's great," he replied kissing Al's cheek.

"You've made me so happy that Scorpius just stopped being hurtful." In the dark, Albus couldn't see that Brandon was frowning now. "I wouldn't have gotten past him if I weren't seeing you."

"Al," Brandon started tentatively. "I'm not sure that's healthy. I can't be your sole reason for contentment and happiness."

Albus propped himself up now, the languid expression on his face quickly replaced by one of concentration. "Why not?"

"People should be happy in their own right," he explained. "Relationships shouldn't be the source of a person's contentment but add to what's already there."

This was too serious a discussion to have while both men were feeling their eyelids grow heavy with sleep. "Let's talk about this tomorrow," Al suggested yawning. They hunkered down and wrapped themselves in the warm duvet though neither fell asleep right away. Brandon had been worried for some time that Albus was overly reliant on relationships as his source of happiness and their conversation that night confirmed it. Brandon liked Al quite a lot and didn't want to hurt him, not after all the heartache he just had, but he could not place himself as the younger man's emotional crutch.

After a shower, Brandon made tea and toast for himself and Albus after they had a lie-in. Albus wasn't completely oblivious to the shift in Brandon's behavior after their brief conversation the previous night – the lack of a good morning kiss and the presence of a bathrobe over his pajamas were enough to prep Al for a hard conversation.

"I want to talk about last night," Brandon said abruptly. "About your comments – that you're only happy because you're in a relationship."

In Albus' moment of unrest before sleep had won over, he thought it hurt Brandon's feelings to hear that Scorpius had continued to have such a pull on him throughout their relationship. "I'm sorry," he started not sure how to really apologize to someone in a relationship. "It was tactless of me to say—"

"Al, I'm not upset you were still nursing a broken heart," Brandon said furrowing his brow. "It's just that you shouldn't use another relationship to fix your hurt from another one." The way Albus' face fell at this statement told Brandon he would have to explain his thoughts at some length. "I really like you, Al. But—"

It hit Albus with that three letter word that he was about to be dumped. Fighting a surge of emotions, Albus braced himself for the worse.

"I don't want to be the person you place all your happiness on," Brandon said watching hurt swim in Albus' green eyes. "To be with someone, and truly be equal, both have to be whole before the relationship, not because of it." Brandon let a few moments pass to see if Albus was going to voice an opinion at this point. When he didn't, Bran pushed on to the hard part. "I think it's best if we stop seeing each other. I hope you can understand why, Al. You're lovely and quite fabulous actually, but you should find happiness in yourself before finding it with others."

Albus was cycling through emotions faster than he knew how to process. Shock and disbelief were the first to come out of his mouth. "You're breaking up with me?"

Brandon winced, feeling that he was mucking up what should be a rather straightforward discussion. "Yes, Albus," he said keeping his voice even.

"Because I need to find myself?" Albus clarified.

"Because you deserve more happiness than just good sex and a nice partner can bring you." Brandon offered.

Somewhere in Albus' head the words rung with truth but in his heart this felt unfair and cruel. He stood up, wishing he was wearing more than his boxers, and said, "I'll be going then." He fetched his clothes from about the flat and started to get dressed resolving not to break down until he was home. "I guess I'll be seeing you around," Albus said once he was ready to leave.

It was agony for Brandon to see Albus ready to leave. "This is hard for me too, Albus," Brandon said as a solitary tear escaped from his dark eyes. "I just can't let you do this to yourself."

Feeling suddenly more mature than he did just moments before walked up to Brandon and hugged him. "I- I know," he managed. "I just need to go and," he took in an unsteady breath and said, "sort myself out."

Albus didn't go home – his parents would ask why he was home so early. Instead he went to Uncle Ron's house to see if Rose was home. Unfortunately for Albus, his parents were there too. "Al, we didn't expect to see you until Sunday," Harry said when Albus walked into the sitting room.

Ginny was the first to read her son's emotional state and asked, "Is everything okay, Albus?"

"Everything is fine, Mum," Albus lied. "I just came to talk to Rose. Is she upstairs?" he asked his aunt and uncle.

"No, I just came down for some tea," Rose said from the kitchen. "I'll get you a cup and meet you upstairs," Rose called as if they had been planning to meet up.

Before any of the adults could inquire about Albus' visit, he left the room and hid in Rose's room much like he did many times throughout their childhood. Rose was just a few minutes behind him with tea and sandwiches. "Mum insisted on sending these up too," she said before Al could ask. Rose set the tray down and sat cross-legged on the floor and sipped her tea. "If you're not going to say why you're here, I'll just assume it's to borrow another one of my girly romances," she said matter-of-factly.

"Brandon broke up with me," Albus said causing Rose to spit some tea back into her cup. "That was my reaction too," he said dryly.

"Is there a reason to go with that or are you just sharing the news?" she asked hoping that Albus would be forthright with information.

"He said I was using him to find happiness rather than being all independent and happy just by myself," Al said as airily as he could.

Rose raised an eyebrow at her cousin as if waiting for more details. When nothing came she said, "He kind of has a point, Al."

Albus groaned and shook his head. "You're supposed to be on _my_ side. Where are your words of comfort?"

"I am on your side, dolt. Brandon is too from the sounds of it." Rose took a bite of a sandwich and let Albus chew on that information for a few moments. "Didn't you learn _anything_ reading all those Jane Austen books?" she asked stretching her legs out. "Two miserable people will just be miserable together. One happy and one miserable person will be happy for a bit but will become miserable. Two happy people might just be lucky enough to be happy together."

A huff came out of Al before he could bring himself to say, "I guess I missed that subtext."

"If you want I'll sneak into the Auror headquarters and hex his hair pink," Rose said grinning.

"You don't have to do that," Al said cracking a grin. "We might have to stop Dad and Uncle Ron from doing that – or worse."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Rose said unconcernedly. "Most of the really bad stuff they could do is illegal and Dad would rather eat a slug than beak _that_ kind of law."

While Albus did have to convince his dad that it was not necessary to intervene in his relationship, and that their breakup had been quite amicable, he did not feel downtrodden for as long. Albus wanted to find out what it meant to be happy while alone. Once anger and bitterness left his system, Al could see that he had wrapped his entire sense of being in other people. Albus soon found out that he liked catching a drink with friends after work and helping Rose with her scheme to offer magical tours of interesting destinations. He started going to James' quidditch games and met quite a few of his cute teammates.

After several weeks of trying to find joy Albus woke up and realized that he was happy quite on his own volition. It was set to be a nice, snowy day, and he was eager to go try out a spell he thought would improve the latency on the daydream charm. Albus yearned for the physical closeness that Brandon had offered as well as the emotional tie but his life was full enough with fun activity to quench most of that desire.

One icy January morning, Scorpius visited Weasley Wizarding Wheezes with another stack of flyers. "Hi Scorpius," Albus said rather cordially.

"Good morning, Al," Scorpius returned, matching his tone. "I came to drop these off," he said setting down the stack of paper on the counter.

"Thanks, we've been running low. It sounds like your shop is taking off," Al commented.

Scorpius seemed slightly distracted then said, "It is."

Over the past months, this is as far as Albus and Scorpius had gotten in a conversation without one of them feeling the need to leave. Today, however, Scorpius was determined to get another word in.

"I was wondering if we could talk," Scorpius said hesitantly.

Albus was on the verge of saying that they were talking but held back his sarcasm. "We can talk," he stated.

George's voice floated down from his office, "You can take your break now, Al."

"I guess we can take a walk, if you'd like," he offered to Scorpius.

They walked towards Gringott's though neither spoke. Despite having practiced what he wanted to say, given the chance, Scorpius didn't know how to open the conversation. "I'm sorry, Albus," he blurted out without any preamble. "I was horrible to you and not just with dating your cousin. I should have had the courage to be with you rather than follow what my dad wanted."

Albus considered these words but didn't respond. He had been contemplating how Scorpius' disassociation from his family marked quite a change in behavior from how he was at school.

"I can't begin to ever make it up to you and I don't deserve your love," Scorpius continued feeling his heart race as he rounded towards the point of his speech. "But I'd like to be your friend."

They stopped walking and locked eyes for a few moments. Albus took one of Scorpius' hands in his and said, "I would like that."

A/N:

BAM! (Sorry, MBA thing that still hasn't left my system.) Yay for a happy ending! Okay, it's not rainbows and sunshine but no one died! If you're a bit confused about why Brandon broke up with Al, I'll try to explain it here:

Al was showing a tendency to put himself completely in other people and rely on them for his sense of self-worth and happiness (he demonstrated that quite a bit and that's the advice he gave Cindy when she was all heartbroken). Brandon is the type of guy that wants to see people who have a good sense of themselves before they start attaching to other people. He cared about Albus quite a bit (perhaps on the verge of love) which is why he didn't want to let him permanently become a person who relied on relationships to be happy. One, it's quite a burden for a person when their partner can't be happy without them. Two, it just went against his ideals.

If you're wondering about the red chapter naming scheme – there's not a lot of extra symbolism to it other than the nouns had to do with some event or item in the chapter (except the last one) and red seemed to be a good color for heartbreak. Red Balloon refers to the movie from 1956 about a boy and his red balloon (blah blah blah, no copyright infringement intended).


End file.
